Locking device for safes



. Jan. 4, 1927.

w. R. HARRIS ET AL LOCKING DEVICE FOR SAFES Filed April 22, 1926 I 2 Sneets-$heet l JI. Garrison @w ygw Jan. 4, 1927. 1,613,457

W. R. HARRIS ET AL LOCKING DEVICE FOR SAFES Filed April 22, 1926 2 Snets-Shee't 2 F F WM. W

i l3 lmmnw o 11 IHHM- Patented Jan. 4, 1927.

' inure! M TE WILIBURN RaI-IARRIS 1L.

eAnRrsoN, or ELMJYKOTT, TEXAS.

noc nne' nnviea roa earns.

Application filed April a2, 1926. Serial No. 103,933.

In the usual type of safe or vault, particularly those of small sizes or relatively cheap construction, entrance theretoby force is ,quitegenerally obtained by knocking o'lf .the'knob of the face of theldoor and driving in the combination lobk. When thelcombiniation lock is in place it prevents movement of the usual locking bars in any direction and when it is thus driven out of place, ,the locking bars arefree to move and the doorcan be readily opened. This invention provides a very simple device which can be applied to the door of anynsual vault or safe without any change therein and which although normally in inoperative position becomes operative whenever the combination lock is driven in to'holdthe usual bolts or looking members against withdrawal, so that the door of the Vault or safe cannot be opened, notwithstanding the fact that the combination lock itself has been rendered ineffective.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the safe with the door in open position, showing the usual locking mechanism therefor.

Figure 2 is a view of the detent member constituting the subject matter of the invention in detached position.

Figure 3 is a View of a slightly modified form thereof.

Figure 4 is a side view of the inside of the safe door on an enlarged scale and showing the detent mechanism in operative position, Figure 5 is a fragmentary side view showing how the detent may be caused to operate an alarm when it moves to operative position.

There is illustrated the safe A, having the usual door B and the combination lock C. The door is provided with the usual sliding bolts D and the short vertical bolts E which are connected to move simultaneously with the bolts D by bell cranks F. This locking mechanism is old and common.

The attachment constituting the invention comprises a base member 1 which is attached to the inside of the usual flange G of the door by bolts 2 or similar fastening means. A lower arm 3 and an upper arm 4 are bent at substantially right angles to the base portion 1 and are provided with registering openings for a purpose hereinafter mentioned. The upper arm 4: has an upturned ear 5 which is bent so that it lies in a plane at an angle to the plane of the arm 4 and pivoted to this ear at 6 is a bell crank lever,

'3 andl.

'one arm 7 of which is connected by a short bell crank lever is connected by the wire 1.2 with the back 18 of the combination lock. The lowerend of the sliding bolt is tapered as at 1 1 and is adapted tofit into an opening '15 in one of the locking bojltsD. The

mechanism thus far described maybe en closed ina casing 16 with the exception of the arm 11 and the cable or ,wire'12.

hen the parts are in inoperative position with the arm 11 of the bell'crank extending in the direction shown in Figure l,*the

lower end' 14 of the detentmember '9 is out of engagement with the sliding bolt 1 D and therefore the door may be opened by proper manipulation of the combination lock in the U usual manner. If, however, it is attempted to obtain entry mto the safe by knocking oh the knob and pushing out the combination lock, the back 13 of the combination lock will fall as indicated in Figure 1 and the spring 10 will therefore be free to move the detent or bolt 9 downward, bringing the lower end thereof'into the sliding bolt D and thereby preventing any movement of this or the connected locking bolts. The door is therefore held against being opened by all of its locking bolts, exactly as if the combination lock had not been tampered with.

A slight modification is shown in Figure 3 in which the link 8 is omitted and the end 7 of the arm of the bell crank lever is provided with an extended slot 17 in which engages a pin 18 carried by the sliding bolt 9. This permits the rocking movement of the bolt 9 to take place without interference.

The invention may also be connected to operate any desired alarm as shown in Figure 5. In this construction a switch 19 is normally drawn by a spring 20 in a direction to open the circuit 21 containing the alarm, but when the bell crank is released and the arm 11 moves toward the left in the figures, it will engage the switch member 19 and move the same against the tension of the spring 20 and close the circuit and thereby sound the alarm.

It is to be noted that the invention em bodies a construction which can be applied ,to the ordinary safe door 7 without any vious that changes can be made in the precise physical embodiment of the invention with out in any way departing from the principle underlying the same or the general method of its application. The form, dimensions and precise location of this auxiliary detent mechanism can be varied without in any way departing from the spirit of the invention. It is also to be emphasized that the opening of the door itself is resisted by the ordinary bolts which hold the door looked under normal conditions and not simply by the auxiliary detent mechanisn'i. In general, it is to be understood that the invention is to be regarded as limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

\Ve claim:

1. In connection with the usual combination lock and locking bolts for safe doors.

a detent mechanism comprising a bracket on the inside of said door, a detent slidably carried by said bracket and movable into an opening in one 0]": said locking bolts, means normally tending to move said detent into said opening, a lever pivoted to said bracket and to said detent, and means connecting the free end of said lever to a part of the combination lock for normally holding the detent away from said locking bolt.

2. In connection With the usual combination lock and locking bolts for safe doors a detent mechanism compris'ng a U-shaped bracket on the inside of said door, a detent ,slidably mounted in the arms of said bracket and movable into an opening in one of said locking bolts, means normally tending to move said detent into said opening comprising a co ledspring surrounding the detent and located between the arms of the bracket, a lever pivoted to said bracket and to said detent, and flexible means connecting the tree end of said lever to a part of the combination lock for normally holding the detent away from said locking bolt.

In testimony whereof, We have hereunto subscribed our names.

\VILBURN R. HARRIS. JOHN L. GARRISON. 

